By VICTOR JUMA
For one of the wealthiest countries in Africa, Equatorial Guinea is relatively obscure. Not much is heard of the small country with big ambitions.
Equatorial Guinea has a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (per person) of Sh923,000 or 4.5 times more than Kenya’s Sh203,000, according to the latest estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). That puts it ahead of all African countries, save for the richer island nations (Seychelles and Mauritius).
News coverage of Equatorial Guinea in the international press mostly revolves around its President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who is the longest-serving leader in Africa.
Not everyone in Equatorial Guinea is rich — though there is no data on inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient.
The nation with a population of 1.2 million is, however, quietly working to boost the standard of living of its citizens through a socio-economic transformation strategy fueled by its oil wealth.
The country has in the past decade spent heavily on infrastructure; building new roads, ports, cities and airport terminals to international standards…Read more>>
